1943 Maltby Sniper

[Giove]

What do you think?

Information

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[Roger Payne]

Hi giove. Can you get some more photo's of the body pad area without the scope & bracket? First impression is that it is wrong. The scope & bracket look fine, & it is certainly a 1943 Maltby rifle, but is it a WW2 H&H conversion? I doubt it, but as mentioned more pix would be nice. The four digit cradle cap numbering is unusual. Never seen more than three digits on a genuine UK bracket. Could this be one of the Italian set up rifles?

Going by past experience, one smells a furry rodent as soon as Maltby & any date other than 1941 crops up. Having said that, only a matter of weeks ago somebody sent me photo's of a Maltby 1942 which I believe to be genuine, but it is the only one I've come across in all of the years that I've been collecting. I believe the explanation is quite logical, in that early on H&H were taking all rifles that met the accuracy standards for conversion to 4T, regardless of the originating factory, but at some point in 1942 (speaking from memory now so if someone has a precise date please chip in) it was decided to convert all rifles specifically & only from BSA Shirley. Consequently, you can almost take it as read that a 43 or 44 Maltby will be a fake, or at least, a 4T not set up within the British Commonwealth production system during WW2.

[55recce]

No staking on the scope pad screws. Definitely not a totally legit package....

[Giove]

Thanks,

Roger, for more pics I have to ask: the rifle is not mine.

I think it isn't an Italian set up sniper, although, actually, the scope is an Italian one; it has not the marks that are generally on an Italian No. 4 sniper.

On the craddle crap there are no 4 digits, but 5, i.e 11421 = the serial number (??). I've never seen such a thing.

Regards. Giancarlo

[Roger Payne]

Thanks Giancarlo. Derrrrr........I never even noticed that the numbers on the cradle cap are in fact the rifle serial number! Although I am pretty sure it cannot be 'original' from the limited views available the pads look reasonably well fitted. Perhaps the work of a professional gunsmith???

[Surpmil]

Looks like one of the Italian-made No32s.

The cradle numbering with the serial number is highly odd. Is this seen on other ex-Italian military No4(T)s, or did someone decide this would a nice touch as part of their "restoration"?

Given the lack of TR and T, perhaps the whole conversion was done there? The pads look "different" IMHO - I'm not going to say how, for obvious reasons.

[Scout Sniper]

That scope looks like the RSM with how sharp the corners are. And the ladder sight is incorrect.

As Roger says a picture without the mount on will help but the pads look like a fairly recent addition to me.

[Giove]

Thank you all.

I asked for more pics and other data. We'll see.

The scope, as mentioned above, is an original Italian scope.

Attachment 118903

I have never seen the rifle S.N. on the craddle.

I don't think this rifle is a set-up Italian sniper. On the Italian snipers the front pad has a different shape and the screws are punched, however, in that case, the rear sight would be correct.

I think the scope has nothing to do with the bracket, and that both have nothing to do with the rifle.

Regards. Giancarlo

[Roger Payne]

I'm inclined to agree with you Giancarlo, but don't know enough about the Italian conversions to say anything worth hearing! You have clearly studied them & if you think it isn't that'll do for me. I still think that, from the limited views we have, the pads look to have been fitted reasonably well though.

[Melanie_Daniels]

Deactivated WWII Lee Enfield No4T Sniper - Allied Deactivated Guns - Deactivated Guns